If I Loved You
by April3
Summary: After the deafeat of Voldemort, Hermione recieves a visitor while on a teaching position at Hogwarts... *UPDATED: Chapter 5 {Hermione's POV} is up*
1. One

Characters: Hermione Granger, Lucius Malfoy and doubtlessly a lot of the usual suspects in Harry Potter.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. 

Warning: Everything in this fan fiction takes place _after _Book 7, so you have to go along with that, also general knowledge of the books in actual publication may be of use to you.  

Author's Notes: This plot bunny really comes from Drucilla and I talking about trying to redeem Lucius Malfoy which I admit never occurred to me until after the movie for CoS. This won't be an entirely cliché story nor will it be sick or squicky, I promise (hence the taking place after Book 7).

~~~

Her first month at Hogwarts had already gone well, which was a relief for Hermione. After all, being back at Hogwarts was nothing unusual. The school and its grounds had long-since become a second home. Being an assistant professor to Professor Flitwick had been a little bit more difficult, not that she had been treated that differently by the professors. Maybe everyone had just expected that Hermione would be one of the students who never left.

Sometimes Hermione missed what had happened before Voldemort's attempt at gaining power. Everything had changed briefly and then the Wizard World had gone back to way it had been. She was still just Hermione Granger, daughter of dentists and general fount of arcane knowledge. Maybe she was just disappointed. She had expected more to happen to her by her Seventh year and certainly after it.

She missed Harry, although she would see him before too long. Of that she had no doubt.  He was taking his time to recover and deciding what he would do with his future. She wondered if she ought to have done the same. She missed Ron as well and some of the unresolved issues that had never quite been discussed by either one of them. He was off with one of his brothers doing who knew what. She had heard from him once or twice.

Truthfully, she received more letters from Mrs. Weasley and her parents than either one of them. She mused that Harry she could forgive but Ron would have some explaining to do over the holidays.

_There is no escaping the Weasleys_, she thought as her looked at Ginny who sat beside her staring gloomily at the hard wood table.

"Now, Ginny, I can't do anything about your wand, but I don't think that is the real problem. The problem is your enunciation of the spell."

Ginny looked at her blankly, still moping. She had been moping for weeks as far as Hermione could tell. First crushes never really died, did they?

"It's in the way you say it. The way you wave your wand."

"But I am saying it right."

Hermione shook her head and managed a strained smile. "All right, for example." She glanced over at Professor Flitwick's stool at the front of the room and pointed her wand. "_Mobiliarbus_."

She carefully and clearly sounded the word out to Ginny who through mumbling her spells had been getting all of them wrong. 

The stool floated towards them and stopped on top of the table besides Ginny.

"There, you see, Ginny. You can do that even with an old wand like yours. I'm sure of it."

The youngest Weasley sighed and rolled back her sleeves. The girl had perseverance, Hermione would give her that but she was just as stubborn as Ron about…well, everything.

She thought about saying something about the key importance of articulation as Ginny pointed her wand at the stool and once again mumbled the spell under her breath. 

The stool stayed where it was but a silver and gold bolt shot out of the wand shooting around the walls of the room before bursting into little sparkles of powder. Hermione sighed and drummed her hands on the table before brushing the glittery remnants of spell out of her hair. 

"Well, you've proved that your wand works."

Ginny's eyes were wide.

Well, at least she's no longer moping, Hermione thought with a sisterly smile. She patted the other girl's shoulder. 

"I'm not exactly sure what you muttered, but I'm sure it was harmless so let's just not think about it and continue from here tomorrow? I think you and I could both use a break."

"I guess so. I'm sorry Her--Professor Granger."

"It's all right. This happens to the best of us."

"Really?"

"Of course," Hermione said with confidence. It had never happened to her of course, but certainly it happened to other students at the school. 

"...Well, thank you," Ginny said with a sad smile before gathering her books and Ron's old wand and heading out the door.

Hermione sighed as she set Professor Flitwick's stool back down in the front of the classroom. Is that really what happened to a love struck witch? Hopefully Ginny would grow out of it. Glitter was one thing, but who knew what might happen next time if the girl didn't stop mumbling and muttering her spells and charms.

At least this part of the day was over. 

~~~

She spent most of her afternoon in the library. More specifically in the restricted section which she now had a lot more access to. The Slytherins at the tables outside the area regarded her with disdian; she just smirked at them and carried her books up to the counter. 

Madame Pince regarded her with wary, annoyed eyes as she marked down the books that Hermione was taking out. Hermione had never held any high hopes of every gaining polite service from the librarian so she never took it personally.

She managed a curt "Thank you" before briskly stalking out of the library anxious to read the books. She smiled as she looked at their dusty covers.

Then there was a loud thud as she collided with someone. She managed to keep her balance but dropped several of the books. She noted that a gloved hand caught one of them, the others landed next to her feet.

_A gloved hand?_

She looked up and frowned.

"Ah, Miss Granger, still living here at Hogwarts, I see."

"Mr. Malfoy…still alive and in the fullness of health."

Her voice betrayed none of her surprise though she knew full well that despite the Malfoys' soiled reputation, Lucius had managed to not get himself killed or even arrested despite his involvement in the Rising of Voldemort. Draco Malfoy had somehow managed to become Assistant Professor to Snape. A position she had really wanted, but she hadn't been upset to work with Flitwick instead.  There were other rumors about the Malfoys particularly Lucius and Narcissa's "seperation" but she had never bothered to pay attention to them. She wished she had.

"Worried about my health, Miss Granger? That's sweet of you."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes or commenting and bent to pick over her other books. He watched her, resting a hand on his cane and the other still holding her book.

"Draco never mentioned you being a librarian here at Hogwarts."

"I'm not a librarian, I'm an Assistant Professor."

"Ah, I assumed from the dust in your hair that you were working under Madame Pince."

"_Dust_?"

He made a slight face as he moved his cane to his other hand and touched her hair. His gloved hand came away covered in sparkly dust.

Hermione made a face as well more from him touching her hair then the powder itself. Ginny's spell. She wondered just how stupid she looked at the moment and felt her ears turning slightly red.

"Yes, well, it's…from…"

He waved a hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Miss Granger." 

She waited for him to add a rude comment. Failing that, she searched for something hidden in his words, something subtly insulting. She frowned as he merely handed her the book he had been holding.

"Thank you," she said tersely.

"You're welcome."

He might have made a slight motion to go but she found herself irritated that he…well, that he had…it didn't matter. 

"And what brings you to Hogwarts. Surely you didn't come all this way to examine the amount of dust I had on my hair."

Lucius smiled briefly. "I came to visit my son, if you must know. I suppose bumping into you was just an additional…pleasure."

"Ah."

Silence. He glanced at her and even though nothing was meant by it she felt like she was being baited. Why wasn't he saying anything? Here was a golden opportunity for gloating of any kind and he wasn't taking it.

"Is there anything else, Miss Granger?"

She frowned. "No."

"Good day to you then."

"….Good day."

She shook her head as he walked away. How could someone not do anything yet still be absolutely infuriating. She hoped he wouldn't be here for very long although obviously he had been given permission by McGonagoll to visit his son. She didn't doubt that were Dumbledore still alive and Headmaster of Hogwarts that he would have let Lucius do the same. Lucius wasn't dangerous so much as slippery as an eel.  

_So no sense dwelling on him_, she thought to herself as she went up to her rooms. 


	2. Two

Disclaimers, Author's Notes, etc. can all be found in Chapter One.

~~~

There was certain disappointment in being considered only an odious presence rather than someone to be reckoned with. However, Lucius Malfoy had always been of the opinion that it is better to live by any means necessary than to die nobly.

He was very much still alive much to the disappointment of Rebeus Hagrid and Argus Filch. They had let him in to Hogwarts though. No one thought he was much of a threat without his "Master." 

He didn't rightly care very much. He had lost so much from not dying as a Deatheater that he didn't mind the fools having their bit of sport with him. 

All right, so he did mind, but he wasn't a stupid man. He had bigger matters to deal with.

It had been a shame to lose Crabbe and Goyle. Even in this sorry state of affairs, those two would have respected him. The idiots had gotten themselves killed. Narcissa had finally left him. Come to think of it, playing the role of the coward had gotten rid of a good deal of excess baggage. He still had a son, he had still had his dignity, his wand and his life.  

Besides, you couldn't lose respect from people who never respected you. The only way to rule was through fear. He wasn't a threat now, but someday he might very well be one again. He'd probably live through that experience as well. Perhaps it was something in the Malfoy Blood that saw them through just about anything. 

People underestimated the value of pity, Lucius mused as he walked past the Great Hall, stopping only briefly to look at the new crop of Slytherins.

It was pity that had given his son a rather good position—of sorts—at Hogwarts. Snape had a soft spot for his son evidentially. Probably was hoping to save the boy from his bastard father, which suited his bastard father just fine. 

Lucius held no beliefs that his son offered much promise, however. Doubtlessly any other candidate would have deserved the position more than his son. That insufferable Granger girl, for one.

That was a juicy bit of irony. Voldemort was dead and still Mudbloods would reap no benefits. 

 He sighed and he stopped in front of the library. Where on Earth was his son anyway? 

A useless, useless boy. 

And a stupid one. 

Draco could have easily gone with his mother off to…where ever it was women of her kind went when they had finished serving their purpose of the over-arching scheme of things.

Instead he stayed. The boy was obviously a glutton for punishment.

~~~

Lucius tapped his cane on the stone floor. It had been fifteen minutes and Draco still hadn't bothered to show up. Children really were a nuisance.

He scowled and sighed looking around the corridor he stood in, Hogwarts really never changed at all. 

He blinked as he felt someone collide into him and glanced down just in time to grab a book out of the air. The rest clattered to the floor and he frowned. It was a frown that quickly turned into a cold, calculating smile.

Yes, Hogwarts never changed at all and a testament to that was Hermione Granger.

He was feeling slightly charitable so he greeted her in a polite manner.

"Ah, Miss Granger, still living here at Hogwarts, I see."

He had caught her off-guard, he could tell. She stared at his gloved hand before looking up at him. Yet even for a Mudblood, he would concede that she had a quick tongue.

"Mr. Malfoy…still alive and in the fullness of health."

"Worried about my health, Miss Granger, that's sweet of you."

It seemed to surprise everyone that he was still alive. It pleased him because no one seemed thrilled at the news but no one did anything about it. 

She offered no reply so he looked the girl over stopping when he came to her hair. Was that dust? _Disgusting._ Did none of the Gryffindors ever bathe? 

Still, for whatever reason, he didn't see any reason to insult her. Perhaps because there was really no need to ridicule her without an audience. 

"Draco never mentioned you being a librarian here at Hogwarts."

She looked confused. "I'm not a librarian, I'm an Assistant Professor."

Oh, so she had accepted whatever positions had been left once his son had taken the one she must have wanted. Almost a shame. He felt rather torn between loathing his son and teasing the girl, but there really was no need because she'd be embarrassed anyway.

"Ah, I assumed from the dust in your hair that you were working under Madame Pince."

"_Dust?_"

It came as almost an unbidden thought that she was certainly pretty for a girl her age. He frowned making a face of disgust at the thought before gently touching her hair. His gloves came away practically covered in glittering powder. 

_A spell gone wrong? Odd, the girl seemed to be pretty good at magic._

She made a face as well and seemed to shudder slightly. She had obviously not liked that at all. But whatever revulsion she felt became embarrassment. Her cheeks blushed and her ears turned slightly red. 

"Yes, well, it's from…"

Lucius had the vague suspicion that he was almost enjoying this conversation…and her company, which was rather annoying. If she continued to talk, he'd probably stay and converse with her.

He waved a hand dismissively. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Miss Granger."

She stared at him for awhile. She seemed ill-at-ease. He gathered it was probably because he hadn't said anything even vaguely insulting to her. This conversation suddenly felt painfully awkward. 

He suddenly remembered the book in his hands and without so much as glancing at the cover, he handed it to her. Maybe he was just distracted from waiting for Draco.

"Thank you," she managed.

"You're welcome."

He turned to go but she spoke so he turned back towards her. 

"And what brings you to Hogwarts. Surely you didn't come all this way to examine the amount of dust I had on my hair."

Almost surreal. Was she insulted that he wasn't insulting her? He smiled. That was rather intriguing. 

"I came to visit my son, if you must know. I suppose bumping into you was just an additional…pleasure."

Dear Lord, had he just said that it was a pleasure? A pleasure? He didn't  show his slight embarrassment, he just stood there and waited for her to say something.

"Ah."

And then silence…they looked at one another. He waited for her to point out that what he said, maybe even question it. She seemed to be waiting for an assault on her character. He didn't feel quite willing to provide her with one.

Instead… "Is there anything else, Miss Granger?"

She frowned. "No."

Lucius was beginning to feel almost trapped in conversation with the Granger girl. 

"Good day to you then."

She hesitated. "…Good day."

He turned on his heel and walked away. He would just have to hunt Draco down himself. He felt rather annoyed with himself. Getting distracted by some Mudblood who really shouldn't even be giving him the time of day. 

He'd just try not to think about it. He could just take it out on Draco. He would take it out on Draco. Then he stopped as he spotted his son who was moving towards him with an almost sheepish expression on his face. 

He scowled. It was going to be a long day.

tbc


	3. Three

Disclaimers can be found in chapter one.

Author's Note: Nothing much to say other than thank you, Jag, for being my beta. :]

~~~

Hermione spent most of the day in her room curling up with a book. There really hadn't been much else to do at Hogwarts other than work with other students. it was even harder to find people her own age to be around considering she was no longer even a 7th year. It was pretty much just her and Crookshanks.

The following morning also had been uneventful, not that she would complain.  Here she was at breakfast sitting right across from Draco Malfoy. McGonagall had decided that it might good for the two of them to sit together at the Professors table seeing as they were the only Assistant Professors there. 

The Owls came swooping in with the mail and she was surprised when one of them came swooping towards her. Well, until it became obvious that said owl had no balance and could barely manage the package. 

She shook her head as she aided Errol with a small spell. How the bird had managed to live this long she would never know.

She gently untangled his talons from the package before opening it. She heard Draco snort, obviously he recognized the owl as well. 

She smiled. Cookies. She got more packages from Mrs. Weasley than her own parents. There was a short letter that amounted to the Weasleys wondering how she was getting on and hoping to here from her soon. There was an even shorter postscript in which Ron says Hello.

She colored slightly. Mrs. Weasley would simply not let go of the two of them being perfect for each other. She wondered why the issue wasn't getting pushed on Charlie and Bill.

She looked up at Draco who was still glaring at her distastefully. A month of the silent treatment. Did Draco think she would actually care? Still, she didn't really want every breakfast to be this tense...

"You want a cookie, Draco?"

He blinked before frowning nastily at her. "No, Granger, I don't want one of your bloody cookies."

Granger. She rolled her eyes. "You could try being civil, Draco, seeing as we're stuck sitting next to each other for who knows how long. Besides, they're probably very good."

She picked one up and took a bite. "See? And now you know that they're not poisoned because I ate one."

Draco gave a suspicious glance as she smiled brightly at him. He certainly was gloomier than usual. It was probably because his father was visiting. 

She took a cookie from the box and put it on his plate. "Come on, it's just a cookie. You don't even have to be nice to me because I gave it to you."

She chuckled as he prodded it with a fork. 

"You're certainly cheerful today, Granger."

"This is the most exciting conversation I've had in a month. You have to admit, _Malfoy_, that there really isn't anything else to do here. we could at least learn to tolerate one another."

"I'll eat the cookie, but I'm not about to start hanging out with you, Granger."

"_Hermione._"

"I'm not about to start hanging out with you, _Hermione_."

"That's fine." It was a step in a positive direction.

She occupied herself with eating the remainder of her breakfast. She didn't think Draco would eat the cookie if she kept trying to be amiable. She really had to find means of entertaining herself.

"Thank you," Draco managed in a strained voice as breakfast ended and he began to get from his seat.

Wow, Draco had almost behaved as though she was his equal.  "...You're welcome."

She frowned thoughtfully as she watched him push his chair in.

"Say, Draco?"

He paused and regarded her questioningly.

"I know you wouldn't like to hang out, but how about we play a highly competitive game of Wizard's Chess sometime?"

Draco grinned and it wasn't a very friendly smile, but Hermione didn't think Draco knew how to be friendly so she let it go.

"I suppose, Granger. So long as you're not going to start stalking me or something."

Her ears turned red as he smirked in a surprisingly less-than-menacing way and walked away. That what she got for being lonely and charitable. 

~~~

After putting her package in her quarters and seeing to it that Errol would be able to recuperate before returning home, she hurried off to her tutorials. An exhausting two hours were spent helping first years with their spells. 

Some of it truly tried every last bit of her patience, but they couldn't help being ill prepared for it. Most of them were from Muggle families and were still "adjusting." She sometimes took for granted the ease with which she had mastered spells.

In the end, she took the two most helpless students to the library and presented them with simple books on the subject and told them to read up on it that night. She sighed as she watched them leave hoping that she had done enough. There wasn't else she could do, but they were getting better.

This was why she had wanted the Potions assignment. Any help she would have given in those tutorials would have ten times more use to little first years than Snape's bitter lectures.

She stopped as she nearly ran into the Potions professor himself. She really needed to start paying more attention to where she was going. Unlike Lucius though, Snape had been thoroughly prepared and had already glided out of her way, crossing his arms once she looked up at him.

"In a bit of a hurry, Miss Granger?"

"No, sir."

"You look tired. Having troubles with the first years already?"

She tried not to scowl despite feeling instantly sucked back into being merely an incompetent know-it-all student from one of his Potions classes. She knew better than to take it personally, but she still did. 

Even after everything, all that they had all been through, Snape was still fairly unchanged by it all. He had saved Harry's life on more than two separate occasions during the last battle but his hatred for her friend was still clearly visible. 

"No, though some of them are having troubles," she replied with a shrug.

He flashed a sliver of a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "To be expected."

She nodded.

"They'll get less…burdensome after awhile."

Hermione tried not to look surprised that they were still conversing. What was with everyone lately going out of their way to talk to her? "I hope so."

"I must admit that I am surprised that you chose to remain at Hogwarts for another year."

"I'll leave eventually, but I couldn't turn down an opportunity like the one I was offered."

_Which was supposed to be working under you, but you know that._

"Even without your friends?"

She ignored the sarcasm in his tone. Snape was the sort of person who really couldn't help it. She just hoped that being intelligent didn't immediately make a person bitter. She would hate to end up like him. 

"I'll still see them."

"I'm sure you will."

The man didn't sound very thrilled. Maybe the idea of Harry and Ron visiting Hogwarts was more than he could bear. Especially when he'd finally gotten rid of them. She was almost tempted to bait him with tales of them coming to visit, but that just seemed rather cruel.

"Well, good afternoon, Miss Granger."

She nodded and watched him glide away. 

Had she said she had wanted company? If so, she was beginning to think she really hadn't meant it, considering the company getting thrown at her lately.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. Maybe after lunch she'd see if Professor Lupin was free. She could use some wholesome company for a change.

~~~

tbc


	4. Four

Author's Note: It just seems important to have something like this in this fic. Don't worry, Lucius and Hermione are indeed going to interact again quite soon. Promise. ]

~~~

Lucius drummed his cane along Draco's desk as he waited for his son to return from whatever morning class it was that he helped teach. He was starting to wonder himself why he was here at all and, more importantly, why he was still here?

He chalked it up to ennui and to boredom. What else did he have to do anyway? He would have to leave soon though. He couldn't quite figure out what he was hoping for now that he was at Hogwarts, now that he had seen his son again.

There was no love between them, at least not on Lucius' part. If the Draco loved him, he pitied the boy in the dismissive way that one might pity a dead bird.

Thankfully, his hour-long wait was brought to an end by a rather haggard-looking Draco flinging open the door.

"Yes, I can clearly see just how much you are enjoying this new job of your's."

Draco rolled his eyes sullenly and offered no reply other than to softly slam his books down on the desk beside his father. It was a small bit of defiance, one that the boy could afford so Lucius offered his son a small smile of approval.

"How many classes do you teach?"

"Mostly I just do tutorials," Draco muttered running a hand through his hair uncomfortably.

"You don't seem delighted to see me again."

"....I'm just not quite sure what it is that you want yet."

Lucius chuckled. "Clever boy."

"Would you tell me what it is you want?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"I suppose not. I suppose you're going to have start doing things without reasons now."

"Why?"

"Well, it's not like you have any now...with Him being gone."

Lucius blinked. Was that why he had no motivation? He covered his surprise though; he wouldn't be allowing Draco any victories, no matter how small. "I didn't need him to have a reason for doing things."

"Please, I think I'm old enough to handle the fact that you don't come here to see how your son is doing."

"Were you ever under that illusion?"

Ah, he could still get to the boy. He wondered why even that was beginning to lose some of the charm, especially when Draco just shrugged. Perhaps he was learning how to cope from Severus, the patron saint of bitter recluses. He frowned. It wasn't that he cared if Snape had become Draco's surrogate father, but in the end Draco was just going to be like every other Malfoy: ridiculously rich and endlessly bored. That was fate and if Severus' influence affected that, Severus would no longer be needed in the grand scheme of things.

"I think if I ever had that illusion it was always abruptly shattered by your arrival."

"Oh?" Lucius looked quizzically at the boy, he hadn't really been expecting an answer.

"But never mind that, how's mother?"

_Impudent little brat._

Lucius scowled and Draco smirked. He was struck by how similar they both were. Obviously they would be as Draco was his son but it felt a bit different now. It felt like they were both haunting the other, and Lucius couldn't say that he liked it very much.

"You know better than I do how _your_ mother is."

"You don't see her at all then?"

"No and I must say that it is an improvement. You can tell her that next time you see her."

"She's not having much to do with me since I continue to have anything to do with you."

"So don't have anything to do with me then, Draco. No one's stopping you. You can do whatever you want. In fact, I encourage it. Do whatever pleases you and don't worry about the consequences."

"Maybe."

"Don't maybe me, boy. She's your mother, if you miss her then be with her."

"What makes you think I would want to be with her anymore than you did?"

Lucius supposed that was fair though. The woman had never had much love for anything but herself, not that Lucius was any different, but he had always felt cheated that his wife was no more in love with him than he with her.

"At least you think I'm might be marginally useful to you."

Perhaps wanting parents' affection is not something that could be beaten out of a child though Lucius had thought he had done a decent enough job of discouraging it. He had never been as harsh as his father, but then he had never thought there was a need to be. 

"You don't need me. You have Crabbe and Goyle, don't you? Friends are far more useful to boys than fathers."

"I would hardly call them friends, but after you got their fathers killed, they don't want to have anything to do with me. And you're right; friends are more useful than fathers. Seeing that I have neither, I suppose I will make do with what I have."

"Don't sound so pitiful, Draco. It won't do to be pitied."

"Why not? You're only alive due to the pity of others."

"It's better to live and be pitied then dead and respected. But if I could have avoided it, then I wouldn't be pitied."

"And why did you avoid it?"

"Because I'm selfish? Because I'm evil? Because my life isn't what I wanted it to be? Take your pick."

"So it wasn't because…never mind."

Had the boy been on the verge of saying what Lucius thought he had been on the verge of saying? "Because of you?"

"It doesn't matter," Draco replied looking rather ashamed of himself. Emotions were not virtues in the Malfoy family.

"Maybe," oh how he hated that word, "it should have been, Draco, but it wasn't."

Draco nodded. "I should go. I have another class. Will you still be around?"

"Yes, nowhere else to go as of yet."

"Then I'll find you before lunch if you want."

"If you want."

Draco nodded and gathered his books and silently left.

Well that left Lucius with a lot to contemplate, but he wasn't about to sit there and actually contemplate it. He rose from the table, pushed in the chair and left the room, cane in hand. He would look for something else to occupy all of the time he had.

~~~

tbc


	5. Five

Author's Note: Sorry been working hard/hardly working on school stuff and original stories, but I have no abandoned this fan fic. I am determined to get it done and will do so. I apologize for the delay and will now pin the blame on my beta...who hasn't actually read this chapter…*worries* But it should be okay…

~~~

"I'm surprised that Ron hasn't written you yet."

Hermione managed a smile. She really loved Professor…well, Remus—He had decided she might as well call him that seeing as she was working at Hogwarts now—but she really wished he wouldn't bring up Ron. She supposed it was her fault really for bringing up Mrs Weasley and the cookies.

She sipped at her tea thoughtfully. It was nice to be able to chat with an adult that didn't treat her like she was still a student.

"You still haven't told me what you plan on doing once this year is over though, Hermione."

"Hrm. I haven't figured it out yet, I guess."

"You really ought to do some traveling. See the world before…well, before you do anything else."

She wondered if he had been going to say 'Before you move into Hogwarts.' It seemed to be where her life was headed anyway. Predictable Hermione Granger, the mudblood who never left. 

"Maybe I will…"

Remus smiled in a fatherly fashion and sipped at his tea.

The rest of the conversation focused on Harry mostly, who was still undecided with what he was going to do but was planning to come visit her soon. That would be wonderful. Just thinking of Harry made her missing him. He was more than just a best friend…he was almost like a brother. Maybe when he figured out what he was going to do, she'd do something similar so they could be in closer proximity to one another.

She smiled as he opened the door for her. Then she sighed softly as she realized it was nearly time for another tutorial. This one was for the 3rd years that were all fairly better at magic than the 1st years. Thankfully.

She scowled when she saw Lucius Malfoy walking by. It was almost enough to make her wish Voldemort was back. At least the wizard would have better things to do than skulk and sulk about the school grounds.

He smirked as he noticed her and Lupin. She didn't like it one bit which only seemed to encourage his thin shark-like smiling. She shook her head at him while Remus offered a small frown of disapproval.

"Well…I'll see you later, Professor," Hermione said softly before leaving the threshold of the door as Remus could close it. He paused but she nodded. She could manage one extremely annoying ex-Deatheater all on her own.

Well, while the traitor was on school grounds, at any rate.

"Having a nice friendly chat with the werewolf, I see."

"…He has a name, you know, Mr. Malfoy."

"Do you not find it curious that the werewolves have benefited a good deal more from Voldemort's departure than…" 

He seemed to be searching for a word that seemed oddly unlike him. Certainly mudblood should have been right on the tip of his tongue. Hermione wasn't a 2nd year anymore. She wouldn't have been devastated. In fact years of putting up with the vulgar term had made her build up a tolerance towards it.

"You could just say it."

He chuckled. "You would prefer that I did?"

"No, but I don't think it's ever stopped your son or you before."

"The times may have changed, don't you think? It wouldn't be wise of me to give voice to a term that would only serve to make you uncomfortable."

Hermione blinked. Was he teetering on the verge of being nice to her? Still, his reasoning were what she had come to think of as 'typical Malfoy logic.'

"Why were you talking to the werewolf anyway? Shouldn't you be tutoring some poor, inept First year?"

"I do other things beside spend my entire day in the classroom."

"Things really have changed then," he said with a smirk. It wasn't quite cruel, if she didn't know better she would think it was almost playful.

Did neither one of them have anything better to do besides speak to one another? She guessed not. She didn't seem as ill at ease as she might have been even several months ago. 

"And if they have?"

Was she actually encouraging him? She could feel her ears turning crimson. She really needed a way out of this conversation.

He frowned thoughtfully before smirking again. "If they have then I suppose it is for the best. A pretty thing like you must have better ways to spend her time than with her nose shoved into a book."

Okay, she definitely was crimson now. He obviously was doing this to torture her. She resisted the urge to make a small murmur of annoyance as he grinned. 

"Maybe."

"So how does the newly liberated, exciting Hermione Granger spend her evenings?"

"How does the newly disgraced Lucius Malfoy spend his?"

Hermione smirked. Sure the victory was pretty much meaningless, but she felt a surge of triumph as the wizard worked to control his temper. She was briefly reminded of Snape as his eyebrows twitched slightly while he worked on a reply.

"…Touché. But don't look so pleased with yourself, Miss Granger" he said crossing his arms. "It's not a very appealing quality in a man or a woman."

For all his bad and irritating qualities, Hermione did herself grateful to be conversing with someone who seemed to have a wit almost as sharp as her own. That wasn't to say that no one else had Hogwarts was clever, but those that were weren't the kind she fancied herself bickering with and the others never seemed to have very much to say. It was obnoxious to be so lonely at a place that had always felt like a second home.

"I apologize then. I didn't expect it to bother you so much, Mr. Malfoy."

"Oh of course you did and I wouldn't mind if you didn't look like a cat who had wandered in an aviary and eaten every bird in sight."

Hermione glared at him like the very same cat only drenched by a gallon of water.

"You never answered my question."

"If you must know, I don't do very much. Satisfied?"

"No, though I might consider both my wounded pride and curiosity satisfied if you'd join me for dinner."

~~~

tbc


End file.
